There is not one country in the world devoid of beggars. Why? We live in a world of plenty. Daily I see waste in all areas of life so if we have more than enough and can afford to waste, why then are some in need? Even the poor waste food and water, and they show absolutely no desire for fancy clothes etcetera. So is the need being observed one of hunger, clothing, or housing? I don’t think it is. What is the genuine need? I see the real need as being one of love; love which encapsulates compassion, understanding and acknowledgement together with a desire to serve!
Indifference I see as being the greatest injustice we can direct toward another!
In Cairo I observe many people daily handing cash to beggars and the less fortunate but in these exchanges rarely is there acknowledgement of the person to whom the cash is being given. They are treated with indifference. Regularly there is no eye contact, no exchange of a smile, no hand shakes, no verbal enquiry of how the person is and definitely no exchange of names! In fact many who offer cash actually turn their eyes away from the person to whom they are giving money!
So I have to question, what is the role of one to the other in these scenarios? It is fact that we are here to serve each other in life. I believe that each of us does serve the other in every relationship throughout life even if a relationship is a fleeting moment of interaction.
We are all teachers and students to each other.
Who I ask in these scenarios is the actual beggar. Or are both parties beggars in some way. Or are neither beggars. Any of us who transverse the path of spirituality acknowledges that each one of us mirrors the other in all we do. There is no separation; we are all one. So, if there is an aspect of someone that especially upsets us we accept that we should look to the self and ask why does this person’s behaviour or life style upset us so? Why can’t I look at this person in love; what part of myself do I not wish to love, recognise and own?
I have come to the conclusion that both parties are beggars and both are receivers and that one serves the other! How?
The beggar of course appears to be begging for money but is he? Yesterday life offered me a perfect example of the lack of importance of money to some beggars.
It is winter in Cairo and the past few days have been extremely cold. From my bus seat I observed a lady in extremely poor outer condition. Her hair was held in place by an accumulation of dust and grime, her only cloths were two flimsy flannelette night dresses covering a pair of equally flimsy pyjamas. She had no shoes but the blanket of dirt that covered both her feet and clothing must have added in some way a slight degree of warmth. She looked very needy, however she wasn’t begging. She even had couple of hessian bags with her which I’m sure she used for bedding! She was an attractive lady and she seemed to be in quite good health but her eyes showed a depth and sense of peace I rarely see. It was as if she had met life in a way I never could. She exuded a sense of peace and an iridescent glow that many of us will never possess. Perhaps in some way she had met God and was well aware of her role in life. Of course I was probably the only person in the vicinity who saw her this way.
